The war in Ukraine affects Turkey’s tourism sector

In addition to the Turkish economy already being affected by record inflation, officials also expect the country’s tourism sector to be hit by the conflict in Ukraine.

Despite Turkey supporting Ukraine in its quest for peace, the country did not join the Western sanctions against Kremlin because of its already shaking economy. Moreover, the Turkish authorities are currently avoiding to ban Russian aircraft from entering its air territory.

Russia and Ukraine are the main tourist sources for Turkey, with 6.5 million tourists visiting Antalya, Mugla or Anatolia during last year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. This accounted for a quarter of all foreign tourists in 2021.

"We can forget about the two and a half million Ukrainian tourists we had hoped for this year.

"For the Russians, because of the economic sanctions, we will certainly not have the 6 or 7 million expected.

Even if a ceasefire were signed tomorrow, there would be 2 or 3 million Russians maximum. And if the sanctions last, we won't even get that", explains Tolga Gencer, senior member of the Union of Turkish Travel Agencies (Türsab).

Fewer tourists arriving from Western Europe are also expected to visit Turkey this year due to the country’s proximity to the conflict zones involving Russia and Ukraine.

 

Source: tourism-review.com